Students examine the role of music and dance in the lives of early colonists. Students will begin to learn the steps to the Virginia Reel without any music. The dance is performed to many tunes. After listening to several selections, students discuss and choose one tune to which they will dance during the Fifth Grade Colonial Days Celebration. The discussion should show students' understanding of colonial life and culture and influences that shaped it.
Students will be introduced to the great jazz composer and band leader, Duke Ellington by listening to his re-composed, re-orchestrated version of Nutcracker Suite by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, following a previously taught thematic lesson about Tchaikovsky's classic. Students use there prior knowledge of musical concepts and the instrumentation of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite to recognize similar melodies in Ellington's work to that of Tchaikovsky. Share and Discuss >View Lesson Plan (PDF 0.1MB)